While true merger and acquisition activity in the property-casualty insurance industry isn't occurring at the pace of prior soft markets, a form of consolidation is occurring, fueled by concerns of agents and brokers, an insurance executive said.

Political infighting has left the Texas Department of Insurance facing the possibility of being abolished through legislative inaction, but industry officials say there is no crisis at the moment.

Wells Fargo & Company has passed Citigroup Inc. in insurance brokerage income, according to a report issued by a bank insurance consulting firm.

2007 and 2008 were banner years in the agency-brokerage merger and acquisition market, with more deals at the largest aggregate value than at any time in history. But everything began to change at the end of 2008.

Max Capital Group Ltd. has highlighted two reports from proxy advisory firms as further ammunition in its bid to acquire IPC Holdings, Ltd., while a third report highlights the benefits of a rival offer from Validus Holdings.

The chief executive of Zurich-based ACE Limited reasserted that U.S. insurance regulation by states should end, citing the hit-and-miss quality of individual venues as one reason for his position.

Public sector entities are seeing more lawsuits over issues such as school violence, police brutality and global warming as the financial crisis deepens and plaintiffs look for deep pockets, experts advised.

By now, most viewers are accustomed to shameless product placements in TV shows, but Nationwide hit a new low recently in its sponsorship of the TBS sitcom "My Boys," says NU Editor In Chief Sam Friedman on his blog today at www.NUSamSoapbox.com.